Vase



Sept. 20, 1949.

W. E. KOERNER VASE Filed Jan. 29, 1947 FIG.

INVENTOR WILLIAM E. KOERNER ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 20, 1949 VASE William E. Koerner, St. Louis, Mo.

Application January 29, 1947, Serial No. 724,976

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to vases and more specifically to vases of the type which are adapted for use in cemeteries to receive flowers and the like and which are provided with spikes adapted to be forced into the ground for supporting the vases, the predominant object of the invention being to provide a vase of the type referred to which is provided with simple and improved means for detachably connecting the spike of the vase to the body portion thereof in order that said spike may be detached from the body portion of the vase to facilitate packing of the vases for shipment and storage.

Fig. 1 is a bracketed perspective view of the improved vase of the present invention showing the spike detached from the body portion of the vase.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the improved vase showing the spike assembled with the body portion of the vase.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the spike of the vase taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

In the drawing, wherein is show for purposes of illustration, merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates the improved vase generally. The vase A comprises a body portion I which is in the form of a tapered receptacle, said body portion being of greater diameter at its top where said body portion is open, and being closed at its bottom, where said body portion is of less diameter, by a bottom wall 2. The bottom wall 2 of the body portion I is secured to the bottom portion of the annular, tapered wall of the body portion I by crimping, as is shown in Fig. 3, or otherwise as desired. Also, if desired, the annular, tapered wall of the body portion I of the vase A may be provided at its top edge with a bead 3.

Secured to the lower face of the bottom wall of the vase A is a member 4 which is in the form of a strip of material shaped as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. In other words, the strip of material of which the member 4 is formed is provided at its opposite ends with upwardly bent portions 4a which terminate at their upper ends in horizontal flange portions 4b. The top faces of the flange portions 4b contact with the lower face of the bottom wall 2, as is shown to good advantage in Fig. 3, and said flange portions are soldered, welded, or otherwise secured to said bottom wall 2. Thus, when the member 4 is secured in place to the bottom wall 2 of the vase A an opening 5 is provided between the lower face of the bottom Wall 2 of the vase and the top face of the portion 4' of the member 4 which is located between the upwardly bent portions 4a of said member 4. The portion 4 of the member 4 which is spaced from the lower face .of the bottom wall 2 of the vase A to provide the opening 5 has formed therein a slot 6, said slot being open at an edge of said member portion 4' and terminating at a point spaced inwardly from the opposite edge of said member portion 4 (see Fig. 1).

The improved vase of the present invention includes a spike I which is formed from an elongated strip of material, said strip of material preferably being of slightly arcuate cross-sectional shape, as is shown to good advantage in Fig. 4. The spike is tapered throughout its lower portion so as to facilitate entrance of the spike into the ground, and at its upper end said spike is provided with a pair of extensions 8 which extend in opposite directions from the main body of the spike. The extensions 8 are produced by forming a slit in the upper portion of the spike which extends longitudinally of said upper portion of said spike, and thereafter bending the material portions of the spike located at opposite sides of said slit in opposite directions to cause said material portions to assume horizontal positions, and thus produce the extensions 8.

In assembling the spike I with the body portion I of the vase A, said spike is brought to a position where the extensions 8 are in alinement with the opening 5 between the portion 4 of the member 4 and the bottom wall 2 of the vase, and where the width of the spike is alined with the length of the slot 6 in said portion 4 of the member 4. The portion of the spike I which is located immediately beneath the extensions 8 of the spike is passed into the slot 6 and is moved longitudinally thereof until the leading edge of the spike contacts with the closed end of the slot, the extensions 8 being simultaneously moved into the opening 5 between the portion 4 of the member 4 and the bottom wall of the vase. The opening 5 which receives the extensions 8 of the spike l is of such height that the upper and lower faces of said extensions are frictionally engaged by the lower face of the bottom wall 2 of the vase and the top face of the portion 4' of the member 4, and as a result of this situation the spike is securely held in its assembled relation with respect to the body portion I of the vase A With the spike I assembled with the body portion I of the vase as described, the lower portion of the spike may be forced into the ground to support the vase in an upright position. The advantage of providing the vase with a detachable spike is that the spike may be detached from the body portion of the vase when the vases are to be shipped or stored, thus permitting a plurality of the body portions of the vases to be nested so "as to conserve space. V

-I claim: 1 v '1. A supporting structure comprising a member shaped "to; provide a space 'within jsaid member, anda stake provided witha pair 3f enterisions at an end thereof which are extended lat- -erally in opposite directions and are removahlydisposed in said space within said'member, sai d member being provided with a slot which re ceives a portion of said stake thatfisi located mediately adjacent to said extensions of said stake.

2. A supporting structure comprising a gnepgber n said member,

reqeives V 3. A supporting structure comprlsinga member substantially U-shaped to provide a space within said member, and a stake provided with a pair of extensions at an end thereof which are extended laterally in opposite directions and are removably disposed in said space within said member, said member being provided with a. slot which is open at an edge of said member and H y a portion of saidggsta'k qgt lrat located immediately "adjacent'tb saidexteii'si'ofis of said stake. r WILLIAM E.KOERNER.

REFERENCES CITED 7 Tiie' following references are of record in the 

